Category: News

Malaria statistics

Current Malaria statistics and results of IRS (Indoor Residual Spraying) September 2015:

Based on data provided by the Wimbe, Mtunthama, St. Andrews, and Njoobvu Health Centers/Post, the pre-IRS malaria rate between Jan 1, 2014 and June 31, 2014 (measuring only those who identified themselves as sick, which grossly under-represents the true number of malaria infected persons) was 704 people out of a population of 4301 (villages of Makanda, Mphepo, and Chinemba).  This is 16% of the population.  Post-IRS malaria positive rate was 173 persons (3.9%) out of an increased population of 4406 during the period from October 1, 2014-March 31, 2015.

Pumain CPAP machine donated with our help saving neonatal lives!

Dear Brian,
 
On behalf of my fellow health workers and on my own behalf I write to thank you and the rest of Bridges To Malawi once again for the Pumani CIPAP machine which has already proven to be so resourceful in the prevention of neonatal deaths from respiratory distress. So far fourteen neonates were put on the machine and nine of them are alive right now. Have a blessed week.
 Peter Minjale

14th June, 2015,

We at St. Andrew’s hospital in Malawi continue to thank you and the entire Bridges To Malawi in USA for the timely support of the Pumani CPAP machine which Bridges To Malawi gave us. This machine is helping in the prevention of death from respiratory distress in neonates especially preterm ones. Photos above are for a mother and her preterm baby with respiratory distress benefitting from the CPAP machine. The Oxygen concentrator shown is also a donation from Bridges to Malawi.

Thanks to Bridges To Malawi.

God bless you all.

Peter Minjale (Medical In-charge, St. Andrew’s Hospital)    (Unfortunately I have not figured out how to upload the pictures he refers to.  I will put them on my facebook page, however.  Brian Lisse)

March 2015 Medical Trip

This year we were preceded by Lauren Rissman, a Tufts 4th year medical student, who spent the month of Feb working with Peter Minjale at St. Andrews.  She  had an amazing time and said she would spread the word at Tufts about how wonderful the experience was.

On March 14, 2015 this year’s Bridges to Malawi group, which included Drs Lisse and Hangen and old friend Dr. John Lozada as well as Josh Tello, RN and his wife Jenny, LISCW; Mariah Latzka and Kristina Pollock (2 Univ of Hawaii 3rd year nursing students); Samantha Lozada, NYU sophomore; and 10 high school students (Ruth Schade, this year’s contest winner; Brendan McMullen; Samantha Vaccaro; Jazmin Murillo; Nicole Wynne; Natalie Betez;Hannah Carroll; Kayla Monteiro (veteran of last year’s trip); Olivia Beaudoin; and Baylee Loewen. Continue reading “March 2015 Medical Trip”

January/February 2015 Status Letter

16th February 2015 Status Email

We are very excited that the second phase of the IRS is finished now covering three villages AND that Peter Minjale says there are no mosquitoes in any of these 3 villages.  He also says that, although they are seeing malaria cases at St. Andrews, NONE of these cases have been from the villages where the spraying has been done!

29th January 2015.

Dear Brian,

K2 TASO IRS EXERCISE IN MAKANDA VILLAGE, KASUNGU, MALAWI

On behalf of K2 TASO I wish to give you the following photographic report as we started the second phase IRS exercise in Makanda village. This exercise helps in killing mosquitoes once the mosquitoes get in contact with the sprayed surfaces.





We are very grateful to Bridges Malawi for your support to K2 TASO in order to implement the exercise. We will send you data upon completion of the exercise. Tomorrow we will start IRS in Mphepo village.

Kind regards.

Peter.